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June 14, 2012
From the Committee for Arena Justice: request for more oversight, new financial penalties, and an independent compliance monitor
Atlantic Yards Report
What exactly did the Committee for Arena Justice, the organizers of the rally held this past Sunday, ask? Well, a copy of a letter displayed at the rally (bottom) shows that they want to see more benefits for Central Brooklyn--in a sense asking for developer Forest City Ratner to comply with pledges initially made.
To some degree the failure to deliver benefits, as Forest City would say, has to do with delays in implementing the project. How to fix that? Well, the committee wants new penalties on the developer--but the state has shown no inclination to revise contracts that give Forest City a long leash.
Fox guarding henhouse?
The other request seems far more achievable. As I wrote, the signatories of the Atlantic Yards Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), who negotiated such benefits, seem muzzled, by contract, dependence, or prudence, unable to even publicly demand the Independent Compliance Monitor required by the CBA, leaving Forest City Ratner, as one speaker put it, the fox guarding the henhouse.
So the committee's request for an Independent Compliance Monitor is merely asking the developer to fulfil a pledge it made years ago--and that shouldn't be as politically difficult. Can project boosters, or those on the fence, really defend that?
Related coverage...
Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, Clergy Lead Protest to Hold Ratner and NY State Accountable on Atlantic Yards Promises
In the wacky world of Atlantic Yards, project critics and opponents are trying to keep the developer and his backers accountable for their promises, while the developer's partners and project proponents remain silent on the developer's broken promises.
Posted by eric at June 14, 2012 12:06 PM